- What: 2024 NBA Finals
- Who: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
- When: Game 1 on Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
- How to watch: TNT and HBO Max
After what has already been an incredible NBA postseason, there are only two teams left with a chance to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. We're of course talking about the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, who both just took care of business in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Western Conference Finals, respectively. So, who will end up winning it all? Before Game 1 arrives, the Celtics are strong favorites over the Mavs in the 2024 NBA Finals. This will surely be a game to remember.
With Boston, the Celtics had absolutely no issues taking down the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. A lot of people thought the Pacers would be able to make things interesting, but that simply wasn't the case. Boston was able to survive some scares throughout the series, but ultimately, they posted a 4-0 sweep. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were a big reason for that, as they were in sync in all four games.
| NBA Finals odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics to win | -220 | -220 | -220 |
| Mavs to win | +185 | +185 | +185 |
| Over 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
As for the Mavericks, head coach Jason Kidd has to be quite pleased with how things have gone for his unit. On Thursday night, Dallas closed things out against the Timberwolves on the road. With the series 3-1 in Dallas' favor, there were some people nervous that potentially Minnesota would post a victory and force a Game 6. However, that wasn't the case, with Luck Doncic and Kyrie Irving putting on a show.
According to the best basketball betting sites, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Celtics hold -220 NBA betting odds, while the Mavericks have been placed with +185 NBA betting odds. On paper, yes, the Celtics are the better team and countless people believe they're going to be the ones to capture the glory. At this point, we wouldn't be surprised if that were to happen, but we think an upset may end up being on the way.
It all comes down to this 😤 pic.twitter.com/R5K3sOtmCu
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 31, 2024
The Mavericks are our pick to win the 2024 NBA Finals
Believe it or not, the Mavericks are our pick to win the 2024 NBA Finals. Time and time again this spring, Dallas has proven that they have what it takes to knock down teams that are favored against them. We saw that firsthand in the series against Minnesota. The Timberwolves were expected to pull away, but Dallas ended their season, needing only five games in the series to do so.
Obviously, things are going to be a lot tougher for them against Boston, which has had the top betting odds throughout the season to win the title. However, Doncic is looking like the best player in the NBA right now, as he has the ability to knock down shots from all over the hardwood. It also helps that Irving has been brilliant as well. Will the two superstars be able to carry Dallas from start to finish against Boston?
This team >>>#OneForDallas // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/CbcCYjnXF5
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 31, 2024
“This one was very close to that where he (Doncic) took the crowd out of the game right off the bat,” Kidd said after the Game 5 win. “He let his teammates know that it’s time that we have to take it up a notch. He sent the invites out and they all came. He was ready to go. As a leader, that’s what you need on the road against a very talented team to let them know that it’s going to be hard tonight and he definitely did that.”
Come Game 1 against the Celtics, both Doncic and Irving are going to have the chance to send a statement to the rest of the league. It's going to be a tall task, but if Dallas can post a victory to start the series off, it will set the tempo for the rest of the way. Again, it's not going to be easy for the Mavericks, but with Doncic and Irving playing to sell together, we have a hunch they'll help Dallas win the NBA Finals over Boston.
How many games with the Celtics-Mavs series go?
A big question a lot of people have on their minds right now is how many games will the Celtics-Mavs series go? While Boston posted a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals and Dallas ended things in five games in the Western Conference Finals, something tells us things are going to be much tighter this time around. Both Dallas and Boston are stacked with talent and they're also incredibly well-coached. That's why we have a feeling things can go either to six or seven games.
Per the top betting sites, including the reliable BetOnline review, there are -110 NBA betting odds for this series to go six games or more. There are also -110 NBA betting odds for things to last five games or less. With the way both of these teams stack up, we have a hard time believing that it will be a short series. That's why we're going with the over, with at least six games between Dallas and Boston.
